Clinton's Escape Hatch

Published
4:00 am PDT, Tuesday, August 4, 1998

PRESIDENT CLINTON would be well advised to hear and heed the growing clamor from Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill.

Many legislators are getting very anxious about the possibility that the Monica Lewinsky scandal could lead to impeachment proceedings. And they are urging Clinton to find a way off the current collision course with prosecutor Kenneth Starr.

"If he comes forth and tells it, and does it in the right way, and there aren't a lot of other factors to cause the Congress to say this man is unfit for the presidency and should be impeached, then I think the president would have a reasonable chance of getting through this," Hatch said on NBC's "Meet the Press." The public might be sympathetic, Hatch suggested, if Clinton were to explain that he lied to protect his family.

The Utah senator is right in predicting that the American people would "breathe a sigh of relief" at an end to the Lewinsky case. The public discussion about stains on a blue dress and the inventory of gifts exchanged between a president and an intern is demeaning for everyone involved.

If Clinton were to retract his denials of a liaison with Lewinsky when he goes before the grand jury on August 17, then he will owe the American people a firsthand explanation of why he lied under oath, a felony offense.

If Clinton stands by his claim of innocence, then members of Congress are probably going to be put in the uncomfortable -- and potentially difficult -- position of determining who is telling the truth.

One approach for the president would be to essentially dare Starr to meet the burden of proof.

But the only real way for Clinton to get people to believe his denials would be to provide forthright answers about why so much access and high-level attention was given to a young intern. And he needs to address any and all allegations that he or his aides may have hindered the investigation.

The president's approval rating remains strong, but it could evaporate in a hurry if Americans begin to blame him -- instead of Starr, the media, or Republicans -- for dragging out the Lewinsky case. It is hard to imagine the case going away as long as Clinton stays bunkered and silent on the advice of lawyers.

Clinton, who is scheduled to meet with Democrats on Capitol Hill, needs to hear their anxieties. He should know that Republicans are jittery too. Members of either -- or both -- parties could encounter the voters' wrath if Congress begins impeachment proceedings on a matter most people believe should not be a public issue.

Hatch was a bit off the mark in suggesting "just a mere apology is not enough here -- he'd really have to pour his heart out to the American people."

Actually, the key to Clinton's credibility recovery will not be the level of his contrition, but the plausibility of his explanations.